Out and About – Week of February 10th

There’s an old saying that goes something like this: “You can’t go home again.” If you were to take this literally, you would find it to be absolutely wrong. After all, we can pretty much go anywhere we want to these days. I’m pretty sure that it meant you can never go home and find it the way you left it. I left Three Rivers in 1963 and returned in 1996. Boy, it had really changed while I was away.

John Ed Pearce probably said it best when he said, “Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to go back to.” Since I’ve returned, I’ve come to realize that things have changed, and there’s nothing I can do about that. There still remains the “Hometown Spirit” that I grew up with. This spirit exists only in a town the size of Three Rivers. Here, when you’re Out and About, you are constantly meeting up with people you know, and you always exchange a friendly greeting. Making a normal trip to the post office can sometimes take the better part of an hour. This small town spirit doesn’t happen in the bigger urban areas. That’s just one of many reasons I’ve decided to live out the rest of my life here in Wildcat country. Three Rivers isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but we can all work hard to make it a community where everyone has that “Hometown Spirit”.

It’s very difficult to be Out and About without hearing someone comment on the amount of snow we’ve had lately. I’m sure the owners of the local ski resorts are elated, as are their customers. If you own a snowmobile, you couldn’t be happier, and if you are in the snow plowing business, you’re doing quite well financially, but are probably tired of working through the night. The weather is usually the first topic on the five o’clock news, and the weather portion of the broadcast has been getting more attention than the sports segment. I find it fascinating that we are all drawn to news about the weather, knowing that there is absolutely nothing we can do about it, except to complain. Yes, we have had our share of snow this year, but those living in the eastern states have had more than their share. St. Joe County is fortunate most of the time. We’re in sort of a bubble. Bad weather normally stops at the Cass and Kalamazoo County lines. If you’re a Liberal, our Congress is at fault for the weather. If you’re Conservative, President Obama has done something to upset Mother Nature. I wish I had some control over the weather. If I could control it, I’d be very popular and very rich. Then I’d really have problems. I’m sure the only solution is to just deal with it. After all, in five months we’ll be complaining about the heat and lack of rain.

I’m pretty sure that savings bonds are a thing of the past, and are no longer available. If, by chance, you do still have some in your safe deposit box, and want to know their value, just go to treasurydirect.gov/BC/SBCPrice. Enter the series, denomination, serial number, and issue date for the value. You may then cash out at your bank, with proper ID, of course.

As ppromised, here are the final four suggestions from, my pet friend, Mr. Canine:

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you’re not.

If what you want is buried, dig deep until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these suggestions and will put them to good use. Whether you’re a dog lover, or a cat lover, it has been said that owning such a pet will add years to your life. They give love unconditionally, and ask nothing in return, except for a little food and water, and a warm place to rest.